The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-04
land as the country "iurther southwark,
beyond the Chesapeake bay"

Wnlte garments, carried before them poles
to which clothes We're attached, and called
with loud voice." This account was in
tcrpreted by the Christian Mortimer to
indicate PROFESSIONS in which banners
were borne, accompanied by singing.
Catholics will readily understand the sig
nificance OF the above. 10 those who do
not would say it refers to the observances
and ceremonies then and now observed in
the rltualistic services Of the Catholic
church.
Ii is not my purpose or desire to contro-
vert the statement that Lett Ericsson dis
covered, on rather landed first i'll Ninland
New Englandl. ! shall allow, for argu
ment's sake, that it is so; but do want to
prove, If possible, that he decidedly was
not the first European that landed on this
continent, and it is more than probable
that New England was visited from Ice
land long before Leifs time.
DID THE IRISH DISCOVER AMERICA
In the oldest Sagas, the historical nara
tons OF Thortinn karlscfne and the Ice
landic "Landnamabock, the southern
coasts, living between Virginia and Florida,
are designated under the name OF Land OF
the White Men. They are expressly called
i
maintained that they were peopled by the
Irish.
The volumes in which these corrobora-
tive accounts are recorded were compiled
in the north three centuries before the
birth Of Columbus, and they undoubtedly
represent the belief then held that there
existed Great Ireland" beyond the
western sea.
Thus far have relied on Morse authority
TO show that Ari Marson and not Left
Ericsson was the first of the ScandinaviaEs
that landed on the continent OF America,
as also to show that at that time ii was the
accepted belief of the Norsemcn that long
before Lief discovered Ninland, Great
Ireland" peopled by the Irish, existed in
the western seas, and that the christian
religion was practiced in this favored land
long before the dragon PROV OF the Viking
ship OF the ScandinaviansSor the Spanish
car,vels OF Columbus pointed westward
Now come to a different phase OF the
subject. shall ask, was America discov-
cred by the Irish2 1t is singular thing
that throughout the proceedings OF unyeil.
ing the statue not one word was said tend
ing in any way to connect Ireland with
the first discovery of the American conti-
nent. | shall not ask why this was SO.
presume the speakers and writers had
their reasons; they certainly did not "give
honor where il was due II is not ma
terial however; the truth Away remains
the same, and sooner or later comes TO the
top.
The Irish Annals record that the Irish
sailor, ST. Brandan, who lived from the
year A. ID. $50 until the beginning OF the
nineteenth century, made two voyages Of
discovery in search of "the promised land;"
that after the second voyage she returned
no more" His precise point OF departure
is explicitly given, viz, from "the foot OF
Brandan mountain" now Tralee bay. IL
is stated that his sea store consisted Of live
wine, his companions OF monks. His first
voyage abounded in adventures. The
dates in the legends are positively fixed.
Both Humboldt and Usher record the
events. The voyages OF 81. Brandan were
received as traditions in France. the Meth
erlands Spain and Italy soon after the
northern chroniclers had written their
memoranda concerning Irland il Mikla.
Jacobus Voraighius, provincial OF the
Dominicans and bishop OF Genoa (the ma
tive city OF Columbts), gave st. Brandans
| land special prominence in the thirteenth
century in his Golden Legend" and
Paulo Toscanncll, Of Florence, Tire Italian
geogrnpher, ON the conjcctural map which
| hc prepared expressly for the first voyage
OF Columbus, set il down as the Terra al
san Borondon lSt. Brandan's land), and
marked il on the charts rs opposite "Eu.
rope and Africa, from the south OF Ireland
/ TO the end Of Guinea" So strong was the
| belief in 81. Brandan's land that, even after
the voyage Of Columbus, expeditions werc
| sent 20 explore II. This IS proven by the
depositons taken before the grand inqus.
itor OF the CanaIies, Pedro Ortez dc Funez
and from other Portuguese and Spanish
accounts. Tho last OF these voyages wa.
undertaken as late as l12l, by Don Gaspar
Dominiques.
ST. BnASDAx's VOYAGE.
Otway, In his Sketches In Erris and
TyraNley," gives tho following in q foot
note: I'VE are informed that Brandaa
hearing OF the previous voyage OF his
cousin, Barinthus, in the western ocean,
! and obtaining an account from him OF the
happy isles he had landed on in the iai
west, determined, under the strong desire
Of winning heather souls 10 Christ, 10 un.
deriakc q voyage OF discovery himself
And aware that all along the western coasl
| OF Ireland there were many traditions ~,
| spccting the existence OF o western land
he proceeded b. the islands Of Armn and
| there remained for some time, holding
communication with venerable 81. Edna
and obtaining from him much information
on what his mind was bent. There can b,
little doubt that he proceeded norihwart
along the coast Of Mayo, and made inquiry
among It's BAYS and Islands, Of the rem
nants OF the Tuatha Danaan people, tina
once were 30 expert In naval affairs llay
ing prosecuted his inquiries with all dill
gcncc, Bandan returned 10 his native
| Kerry. and from hay sheltered by the
lofty mountain that Is now known bl
his name he set sail for tho At
lantic land; and directing Iii
course toward tue southwest, IN
order 10 meet the summer solsticc, or VIVA
We call the tropic. After O long and rougl
voyage, his little bark being well proyis
ioned, he came 10 summer seas, where h,
was carried along without the aid OF sail %
oar for many a long day. This, Il II 10 b,
presumed, was the great gulf stream, an'
which brought bis vessel 10 shore some
where about the Nirgiuian Clpcs, or when
the American coast tends eastward an'
forms the New England States. Her
landing, he and his coapanions marches
steadily into the interior for fifteen day
and then came 10 large river, ilowin
from cast 20 west; this evidently was tn
river Ohio. And this he was about 4
cross, when he was aocosied by person q
noble prescncc--but whether q real or Wis
i9nary inandocs not appcar--who told hin
he had gone far enough; that further dis
coycrics were reserved Tor other men, VIII
would in due time como and chrisiianiz
all that pleasant land. The above, whe
clearly tested, shows that Bnndan landc
on continent and went n good way int